


Sweet Heart

by starryadora



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, High School AU, Lesbians, adora - Freeform, autistic Adora, catra - Freeform, catradora, helpful catra, spop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:53:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25148026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starryadora/pseuds/starryadora
Summary: Diagnosed with autism from an early age, Adora has always been different. Determined to get through high school, she keeps an optimistic attitude and keeps her head held high.Catra is the school rebel. From spray painting bathrooms to fighting bullies behind the school, she doesn't let anything get to her. And she wont let them get to her Adora either.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 105
Kudos: 732





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi!!! i read a theory/headcanon about Adora possibly having autisim, so as a person with autism myself, I wanted to include a story about it!

Catra knew something was wrong when Adora wouldn't eat her lunch. 

It was her favorite; Catra should know. She packed it herself. Chicken nuggets, macaroni, a cosmic brownie and some watermelon slices. It was one of Adora's safe meals. 

The group home Adora lived in would only pack her food she wouldn't eat, so she'd go hungry. Until she met Catra. 

Catra made sure that Adora was always well-fed, happy, and that no one would mess with Adora. Her Adora. 

Usually, Adora would eat happily, one food item at a time in the exact same order just how she liked it. 

But today, she was picking at her chicken nuggets and staring down at the table. She wasn't usually good at making eye contact, but today, she was making an effort not to, which made Catra worried. 

"What's wrong, Dora?" She asked, using her pet name. 

Adora still kept her eyes glued to the lunch table. 

"Adora, look at me. Did someone say something to you? You know I'll kick their ass if they did." 

"I'm fine..." the blonde girl muttered. 

"Are you sure?" 

"I'm not a baby, Catra. We talked about this." The blue-eyed girl said, finally looking up at her. "I can worry about myself." 

Catra winced a bit. She and Adora had this conversation multiple times before. Adora was independent and didn't want Catra hovering over her and protecting her like some tiny animal that couldn't protect itself. 

Catra knew Adora was fully capable of taking care of herself. But autistic or not, Adora was Catra's friend. And she'd always fight for her friends. Neurodivergency or not. 

When Catra first moved here, Adora was the first person who was nice to her. Before learning about her autism and getting to know her, Catra thought she was...well, weird. 

She thought it was weird how she carried around a stuffed unicorn or why she wore sweaters in 90° heat. She couldn't understand why Adora had such a hard time reading facial cues or comprehending figures of speech. 

But it only took time. Catra did her own research and got to really know Adora. They'd been friends for years and Catra'd be lying if she said she didn't have...other feelings for Adora.

But she couldn't ruin their friendship like that...

She gently grabbed Adora's hands over the table. The blonde girl's eyes widened a bit, but she soon melted into her touch. 

"You know you can tell me anything..." Catra said softly. "I promise, I won't judge you or treat you like a baby. Just tell me, Bunny." 

Adora's lips curled up at the nickname. Bunny. An inside joke between her and Catra only. 

"Okay..." she retracted her hands, twiddling her thumbs a bit, her eyes back on the table. She mumbled something incoherently.

"What is it?" Catra leaned forward, pointing her fingers to her ear. 

"Octavia took Swift Wind..." Adora whispered into her ear. "And said my forehead was big." 

Catra's mismatched eyes widened, steam practically coming out of her ears. For a few seconds, all she could see was red, hot anger. 

"I'll get him back." Catra promised. 

"Catra, I don't need you to-"

"Adora, you're my best friend. And I owe you one anyway. Remember last week when you helped me study for my geometry test? I aced it! I owe you one." 

Adora thought about it, then nodded. "Okay...just don't get in trouble again. I don't like when you have detention. I have no one to talk to when you do." 

Catra just smiled and playfully shook her head. "No promises, Dora. But I will get Swift Wind back. And your forehead is big, so what? You make it work. And your hair poof is adorable." She smiled. 

Adora couldn't help but smile back. "Okay..."

Then, the blonde girl stood up. Everyday, 2 minutes before the bell rang, she'd hurry to get to class early so she could get her favorite seat by the window. It was like clockwork. 

Catra sighed as the girl left. She'd barely even touched her food. Usually, Adora would throw her trash away in the trash can, but today, she was too distracted to remember. 

Catra grabbed the Cosmic brownie and wrapped it up in a napkin, just in case Adora got hungry later. 

She had to leave lunch early, too. 

She had business with Octavia to take care of. 

Catra scouted the hallways, eyes darting left and right as she scanned the surface, looking for a certain green-haired girl.

School had just ended, the bell ringing to signify the ending of the day. Students and teachers both piled out of the halls, eager to get back to their homes away from the hellhole known as a learning facility. 

Octavia was pretty big, hence the name. She was a wrestler and a damn good one at that. But she didn't intimidate Catra. 

Making sure there were no teachers around, Catra grabbed Octavia and shoved her against the locker, using all of her force. 

She could see the shock and fear in Octavia's eyes before she realized what was happening. 

"What did you do to Adora, you bitch?" 

Octavia just smirked and narrowed her eyes, sizing Catra up and down. "I just gave her what she needs; you know, the real world isn't gonna be all sunshine and rainbows, Catra. It's time that your little girlfriend learned that. 

"She goes through enough of that at home, Octavia. Why do you have to go out of your way to make her life miserable?" 

"Miserable?" She asked. "I'm helping her! The weirdo is too old to be carrying around a damned stuffed animal! She's in high school for fuck's sake!" 

This pissed Catra off. Octavia didn't know the story behind the unicorn. She didn't know that it was the only thing her parents had left her behind. She didn't know that it was the only thing that helped Adora sleep at night. It was her comfort animal and helped her happy stim.

But of course Octavia wouldn't know that. 

And quite frankly, Catra didn't seem to care about her ignorance. 

"And what are you? You're just a big bitch with an ugly dye job and a broken nose!" 

"I don't have a broke-"

SLAM! 

Catra's fist made direct contact with Octavia's nose before either one of them could even process what had happened. 

There was blood all over Catra's shirt. She stared at Octavia's bloody nose and sneered. 

"Adora is the one good thing left in my life. And I'll be damned if I let you ruin that." She hissed, grabbing the unicorn plushie and making her way back to her locker. 

She grabbed her jacket and put it on to hide the blood. Not only would it upset Adora, but it would make others suspicious as to why Catra's shirt looked like a crime scene.

Catra hurried to get to the bus; she rode with Adora everyday. The girl was sensitive to all the loud noises and bumps in the road and all of the heartless teenagers that would throw things and tease her. 

The bus didn't even go down Catra's neighborhood. In fact, Catra would get off the bus with Adora and walk back to her own house, which was a lot of walking. But she'd do it for Adora. She'd do anything for Adora. 

Hurrying onto the bus, she found Adora in their usual seat 9. 

She saw the worried expression on Adora's face. 

"I thought you were gonna miss the bus." She said softly. 

"Me? Nah, wouldn't miss it for the world." Catra laughed, leaning back in the seat and propping her feet up in the seat ahead of her. 

Kyle, the kid in front of her groaned a bit, but Catra just smirked. "Deal with it, Kyle." 

Then, Catra remembered and reached into her backpack and pulled out the famous Swift Winds plushie, causing Adora's eyes to light up. 

"You got him back!" She grinned, hugging Catra tightly. 

Catra's eyes widened. It was very, very rare that Adora hugged anyone, even Catra. But on the scarce occasion of it happening, Catra cherished them and hugged her back affectionately. 

"Octavia just gave him back?" Adora asked, pulling away. 

"Yup." The brunette lied. "I just asked her for him and she said yeah. And she's sorry that she called your forehead big. She was just jealous. 

Adora knew that most likely wasn't true, but she smiled and hugged her comfort stuffed animal anyway. "Thank you, Cat." 

"No problem, dude." She grinned. 

Soon, the bus pulled into the group home Adora lived at, a tiny house in a pretty broken-down neighborhood. 

"Here, take this." Catra said, handing Adora the brownie from lunch. "I don't want you going hungry tonight. And get a good night's sleep, okay, Bunny?" 

Adora rolled her eyes playfully and smiled. "Okay, Cat. I'll see you tomorrow." 

And just like that, Catra watched her Adora walk back into her house. 

Sighing softly, Catra prepared to make the long journey on foot to her own home.


	2. Chapter 2

On Saturday morning, Adora's eyes shot open, heart pounding in immediate adrenaline. 

She had good reason to be excited; she was having a sleepover with Catra. 

Catra and Adora had only had a handful of sleepovers, but she'd agreed to come to night since Catra promised that Adora could play with her hair. 

Of course, the group home she lived in usually would never let her leave other than going to school or planned outings under their supervision. But Perfuma promised to cover for Adora and tell them that she was just sick in bed like she usually did. 

It's not like they would notice she was gone anyway. 

Sitting up, the blonde yawned and looked out the window as the sun instantly met with her squinting face. 

Sighing happily, she began to imagine what tonight might be like as she basked in the warmth of the glowing sun. 

She'd only stayed with Catra a handful of times. Ms. Weaver, Catra's adoptive mom, (who was very mean according to Catra) was going out of town for a business meeting. 

It had taken a lot of trust to build up in order for Catra to convince Adora to stay the night with her. In fact, the first sleepover they had, Adora kept her up most of the night pacing the floors and crying in a panic. 

Things were different now. 

Even though Adora hated the group home she was in, she hated change even more. She liked staying in the same bed every night. But Catra's House was different...when it was just the two of them, she felt...safe. 

Adora was an early riser. The other girls lay in their beds as she made her way to the closet, throwing on a red sweater. 

Sweaters made her happy. She rarely wore much else. 

"Good morning," A cheerful voice greeted. 

Turning around quickly, Adora turned to see Perfuma standing up and watering the plant that sat on her windowsill. 

She didn't even notice someone else was awake. 

"How'd you sleep?" Perfuma asked. 

Adora shrugged. "Okay - Scorpia's snoring kept me up a lot." 

Perfuma giggled softly. "She tends to do that a lot. Are you excited for tonight?" 

The freckled girl was always looking out for Adora in a sisterly way. It was how they survived this place. She was always up-to-date on Adora's social life, her academics, her crushes. 

But it wasn't because she felt like she had to. It was because she wanted to. Which made Adora trust her. 

Adora grinned and blushed a bit, thinking about her brunette friend. "Catra said we're gonna order pizza - pepperoni just how I like it." 

"I'm so excited for you." She smiled, gently extending her arms to offer Adora a hug. 

It was their unspoken rule. Adora didn't like to be hugged unless asked. Usually, it was Adora initiating the hugs, but Perfuma was the sister she never had. 

Adora hugged her tightly and closed her eyes. 

"Come on." The plant-lover pulled away. "I'll see if we still have any pancake mix left." 

"Hell yeah!" 

After successfully managing to sneak Adora out of the house, Catra and Adora walked down the sidewalk on the trail to Catra's house. 

"I'm so glad Ms. Weaver is going out of town - foster mom or not, she's a total bitch to me." Catra ranted, kicking a pebble down the road. "When she's not reminding me how worthless I am, she's threatening to kick me out because I'm a "problem child." 

"You're not a problem child." Adora said, getting a little angry. "You're my best friend and the sweetest person I know. If Ms. Weaver can't see that, she's not a very good mom." 

"She's not even my mom." Catra hissed, crossing her arms and making her way to the house. 

Unlocking the door with the house key, Catra and Adora immediately were met with Melog, Catra's huge orange cat. 

"Melog!" Adora squealed, bending down and picking up the huge tabby as he purred and nuzzled against her. "I missed you too, buddy!" 

Catra laughed. "I think he can smell you on my pillows because he still looks for you in the house sometimes." 

Adora beamed at that. She'd always had a soft spot for animals

At first, she and Melog didn't get along to well. He scratched her after a failed attempt to pet him and made Adora upset to the point of tears and scars that still hadn't completely healed. After a few sleepovers and short visits, the two eventually became best friends. 

"Have you been feeding him well and giving him plenty of snuggles?" Adora asked, interrogating Catra. 

Catra laughed. "Does he look hungry to you, Bunny? I promise, that cat is spoiled to death and getting everything he needs." 

"Good." Adora set the cat down and let him roam around the couches. 

"Wanna go up to my room?" The brunette asked. "We can watch a movie or something."

At the mention of a movie, a mix of unease and doubt flashed across Adora's face as she remembered the last movie they watched together...

Okay, so it wasn't Catra's fault. She didn't realize that Adora wasn't into horror films until she realized that the blonde girl was gripping her shoulders for dear life, consequently enabling Catra's shoulders to go numb for the rest of the night. 

"W-which movie...?" 

Noticing the girl's unease, Catra just shrugged. "I think I picked last time, so it's your turn to pick. Whatever you want, Dora." 

Adora's eyes lit up. "Cool! Race ya up the stairs!" 

Without another second to pass, both girls were dashing up the stairs. 

"You know I'm gonna beat you!" Catra called. 

"Not this time, cheater!" Adora teased back as both girls barged into the room, flopping down onto the bed. 

Catra's room wasn't very noteworthy or special. 

It had a bed next to the wall along with a plain desk and a TV set up on the dresser. The walls were a plain brown color and the only decoration was a small plastic cactus since Catra was more on the killing side of the spectrum when it came to greenery. 

She was embarrassed by the simplicity of the room, but Ms. Weaver refused to let her decorate. She said that Catra would be out of the house long enough and she'd soon have another brat (paycheck) to come in and take her spot. 

Adora, however, loved the room. It was a safe space to her. She climbed up on the bed, snuggling into the pillow and laying next to Catra.

"What movie are we watching?" The cat-like girl asked. 

"Hmmm...I was thinking The Princess Bride." 

"Again? Haven't we seen that one at least a billion and two times already?" Catra teased, playfully jabbing her in the side. 

"Nowhere close to a billion and two." Adora said, scrunching up her nose. "We wouldn't even be alive that long. We've only seen it 13 times." 

Catra playfully rolled her eyes. She forgot how literal Adora took some things. She wasn't annoyed by it, though. If anything, it was heart-warming. 

"You're right - my bad." She laughed, booping Adora on the nose. 

"Can we pleeeease watch it again?" Adora asked, sitting up and giving Catra puppy dog eyes. Damnit. Adora knew Catra couldn't resist those.

"Alright, alright." Catra laughed, grabbing the disc and putting the movie on, laying back next to her best friend. 

She'd be lying if she said she paid much attention to the movie. Like the first 12 times, she would watch the way Adora's eyes lit up. She'd watch Adora mouth the words to herself since she basically had the script memorized. 

Her heart lit up and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Closing her eyes and relaxing on the pillow, Catra felt the familiar feeling of Adora's fingers running through her hair. 

Apparently, Adora loved the texture. 

Normally, if someone tried to even touch Catra's hair, she'd punch them until they saw stars. But Adora was the exception. 

Catra leaned into Adora's touch as the girl gently played with her hair. 

"Y'know, Bunny, I'm thinking about cutting my hair." She grinned, opening one eye to see the girl's reaction. 

"What? Why?" She turned her attention away from the screen. 

"I just want it shorter." She shrugged. "It'll be easier to take care of." 

Adora pouted a bit. "Then how will I play with it?" 

She snorted. "I'm not buzzing it off, Dora. There will still be plenty left for you." She laughed, gently taking Adora's hand. 

Adora gave it a tiny squeeze. "You're the best - and I know you love it when I play with your hair." 

"You caught me." Catra laughed. 

The two lay next to each other when the doorbell rang. 

"That's the pizza." Catra said, standing up with a stretch. "You stay here and make sure Melog stays out of trouble - whenever he is." 

Making her way downstairs, Catra paid the pizza guy and tipped him, grabbing the box of all pepperoni pizza. She preferred meat lover's supreme, but she wanted tonight to be about Adora. 

Trudging up the stairs two or three steps at a time, Catra walked in to find Adora handing upside down from the bed. 

She laughed. "What are you doing, Bunny?" 

"I dunno - just bored." Adora laughed, sliding down onto the floor and sitting next to her. "Pizza time?" 

"Pizza time." Catra agreed, opening the box. 

She noticed how quickly Adora ate and how hungry she seemed. She knew Adora hated the food at the group home and would often go hungry as a result. The thought of the girl spending her nights with her stomach growling made Catra's heart hurt. 

She'd make sure to start packing extra snacks in Adora's lunch. 

As the girls ate ravenously like a pack of wolves, Melog meowed, announcing his presence as the tubby cat made his way into the room, wrapping his tail around Adora and purring. 

She laughed and pet behind his ears. 

"Oh, you got some sauce on your face." Catra said, pointing to the side of her cheek. 

"Here?" Adora asked, wiping it on her sleeve. 

"No - other side." 

"Right here?" 

"Not quite - here let me just..." 

Catra crawled over to Adora, taking her thumb and gently wiping the pizza sauce off of her face, accidentally brushing her lip in the process. 

Both girls suddenly became very aware of how close they were. 

Blushing beet red, Catra retreated back to her own spot on the floor. "A-all gone." 

"Thanks." Adora smiled, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them, reaching into her sleeping back and pulling out Swift Wind, the unicorn plushie Octavia had stolen the other day.

Catra softened a bit. “Next time someone messes with you, just punch them, alright?” 

“I did, remember? I punched Kyle that one time he stole my notes in class and I got sent to detention...the Horde wouldn’t feed me dinner for 3 days after that.” 

The Horde. That was their special code for the group home. 

Adora just looked at the ground shamefully. 

Desperate to change the subject, Catra found a savior in the form of nail polish. 

“Hey!” She jumped up and grabbed the various polishes. She rarely used them. Ms Weaver had gotten them for her out of spite. Wanted Catra to be more feminine. 

‘Feminine my ass.’ She snorted to herself, grabbing the tray. 

“How about I paint your nails?” 

“Hm...” Adora thought about it. “I’m used to them being clear, but I guess some color won’t hurt. Do you have red?” 

“Of course.” Catra grinned, taking out the bright red nail polish. “It’s gonna look awesome on you.” 

“You really think so?” Adora asked. 

“I know so. You always look gor- awesome. You always look awesome.” Catra saved, looking away flustered. 

Adora blushed and watched as Catra expertly began to paint her nails, her hands still and gently, not once going out of line. 

The blonde’s hands were a little shaky, but was only because she was supposed to be focused on being still. 

“There ya go.” Catra grinned. “Now we just have to let them dry. In the meantime...” she grabbed the remote and clicked play. 

“We can finish The Princess Bride.” 

Catra woke up to a vibration...no...was the bed shaking? 

Blinking and sitting up, she looked around to see Adora shaking violently. 

“Dora? Dora, what’s wrong?” Catra asked, getting up and turning on the light. 

“B-bad dream...too dark...I-I’m sorry...” 

“Hey, hey, don’t be sorry.” Catra whispered, rubbing the girl’s back. “Tell me what happened.” 

“I-I had a bad dream...about my family before the Horde House.” She admitted, tears streaming down her face. “And it was so dark and there wasn’t any lights and you were already sleeping - I feel like such a baby and I’m sorry.” She whimpered, her face red and strewn with tears of embarrassment and fear. 

“Adora...shhh...you know I’ll never judge you.” She said, getting up and plugging in the night light she’d gotten just for the occasion of Adora visiting. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten it. 

“I’m so needy. I know you think I act like a baby...” 

“You don’t.” Catra said, sitting next to her. “You don’t act like a baby. Who told you that?” 

“The people at the Horde...” she whispered. “And the others at school - I can’t go from one classroom to the next without someone throwing something at me or treating me like some pathetic puppy!” 

“Don’t listen to them. They don’t know you like I know you.” She rubbed her back. 

“I’m sorry for waking you up...and putting you through this...” 

“Don’t ever apologize. Wake me up whenever you need something, Bunny. I promise you aren’t bothering me.” Catra said, grabbing a cup of water from the nightstand and handing it to Adora. “This is what friends are for. What best friends are for.” 

The blue-eyed girl just chugged the water, thirsty from all the crying. 

Catra felt awful. She has always suspected that Adora had some form of trauma or PTSD, but this basically confirmed it. 

“I promise I’ll remember the night light next time.” The brunette whispered, rubbing Adora’s back as she calmed down, grabbing Swift Wind and handing him to Adora. 

Adora hugged the plush tightly, then wedged herself between Catra’s arms, which surprised Catra since Adora usually liked her own space when sleeping. 

She didn’t question it, though. She just held onto Adora, her Adora protectively without a second thought, stroking her blonde hair and whispering sweet words into her ear. 

When Adora finally fell asleep, Catra brushed a blonde strand of hair out of her face. 

“I’m never gonna let anyone hurt us again.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow my wattpad (sweet-peachy!) or my tumblr (sweet-Adora) or even my instagram (sweet__peachy) to interact with me!!!! 💓

**warning ⚠️ : sexual content**

_Catra knew she was dreaming as soon as she saw the scene playing out before her._

_It was Adora, standing right in front of her, wearing nothing but a lacy red bra and matching, revealing panties that could barely even be classified as underwear._

_The blonde girl's fair skin gleamed in the candlelight as her golden locks spilled down across her shoulders, out of its usual plain ponytail. The girl's large blue eyes seemed to glisten under the light, specks of the bright fire dancing wildly._

_Catra couldn't get up from the bed. It was as if the sheets had trapped her, holding her down and making her suffer as she watched Adora in front of her._

_"Hey Catra." The girl purred, climbing up on the bed, her cleavage drawing the other girl's attention._

_She knew this was a dream...she knew this wasn't real...but Catra had always been a fan of playing pretend. She reached forward to grab Adora, to touch her or hold her or **something**..._

_But even in her wildest fantasies, Catra would never reach Adora._

_She was a flame that couldn't be contained._

_Adora then climbed on top of Catra, straddling her and smirking softly. Catra couldn't help but grin and grab her plush ass, closing her eyes and leaning against her, trying to convince herself that this was real._

_The blonde grinned mischievously and began to kiss down Catra's neck, leaving red lipstick stains all over her collarbone and chest._

_Catra sighed softly. She didn't feel anything. Of course she didn't. It was a dream. She knew it wasn't real...but she couldn't stop herself from indulging._

_It was like having sex with a ghost. Adora would touch her and Catra would feel nothing but heat and longing for passion that didn't exist._

_"Please..." the tan girl begged, though she didn't know what she was begging for. This was all a scene playing out in her mind..._

_Adora giggled softly. "You've always been so needy, so impatient, Love..." her hands reached down to her lacy red bra, gently unclasping it as Catra watched in awe, eyes wide..._

_And then she woke up._

Catra panted as she sat up, sweating and looking around.

Where was she, holy fuck, where _was_ she?

Her eyes darted around when she took in the familiar sight of her room.

Right. The sleepover. They were still having a sleepover.

The brunette looked over to see Adora sleeping next to her peacefully, eyes still closed. She couldn't help but notice that Adora was in a rather... _awkward_ position.

Laying on her stomach, Adora was straddling a pillow, ass slightly in the air as she snored, her chest rising up and down...up and down...

Suddenly, the dream rushed back to Catra's head...and between her legs. Feeling a heat, she whined a little.

"Why did you have to invade my dream, you gremlin?" She cursed Adora silently, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

What an inconvenience.

Sighing and swinging her legs off the bed, Catra prepared to take a very long shower to relieve herself.

As she stood up, she felt an arm grab her wrist.

Jumping a girl as she turned around, she softened to see that it was just Adora, yawning and squinting her eyes like a baby doe that had just been born.

The poor girl was barely even awake.

"Mm... she groaned, "Don't go, Catra...stay..."

Heart pounding, Catra sat back down at the edge of the bed, crossing her legs and momentarily ignoring how wet she was. She forgot how much of a light sleeper Adora could be.

The freckled girl softened. "I'm gonna go get a shower..."

"It's so early...still dark outside..." Adora bargained, climbing into Catra's lap and trying to convince her to go back to sleep.

Catra sucked in her breathe. Holy fuck, now was not a great to have Adora this close to her...

She tried to count to 10 and think of not boning her best friend right now, but she couldn't ignore it...

Trying to think of happy, innocent thoughts that didn't involve pinning Adora down and confessions her undying love to her with her tongue, Catra fidgeted around nervously as Adora held onto her.

The blonde girl was wrapped around her like a baby koala, no sign of getting back up soon.

Catra shivered at the feeling of Adora's hot, rugged breath on her neck. She was glad that vaginas couldn't get boners, or else she would've been a dead giveaway.

She sighed and stared at the ceiling, watching the ceiling fan make its routinely spins and noticing just how uneven the paint on the wall was.

Feeling a bit melancholy, she gently lowered Adora back to the bed, sighing in relief when the girl just snored softly, eyes closed as she hugged her stuffed horse plush close to her chest.

Catra hugged her knees and stared at Adora, though this time more of in a sad-pining way and not in a built-up-sexual-tension pining way.

She'd known about her feelings for Adora for forever.

She wanted to hold her in a way that close friends didn't. She wanted to hold her hand, not just when Adora was feeling anxious, but walking down the street as a couple. She wanted to kiss her pretty pink lips until they couldn't kiss anymore...

But she couldn't jeopardize their friendship like that...

Catra knew she had competition. In fact, that was one of her biggest fears...someone swooping in and taking Adora for themselves.

She had insecurities that only Adora knew. Secrets and scars only she was allowed to see. Deep down, Catra knew she wasn't good enough for Adora. No one could ever be good enough for her Adora.

And the truth is...Catra was jealous. She was jealous of how people looked at Adora. How they seemed to want her to themselves...she was jealous of how girls like GlimmerBrightMoon would have inside jokes with her. She was jealous of when Huntara would subtly flirt with her in the hallway. Oh, it made her blood boil. _Especially_ when it came to Huntara.

She knew it wasn't right. She wanted to be a supportive friend, and she knew that it was a good thing that Adora had other friends to rely on...but deep down in the back of her brain, she couldn't help but wonder...what if she was replaced?

Picking at a thread on her pajamas, Catra lay back down and looked back over at Adora.

She was the most beautiful person Catra had ever met.

She remembered when she first saw Adora. How she had that pink flower tucked behind her ear and her blonde hair tied up its usual ponytail...

Adora was still just as beautiful as ever. Who _wouldn't_ adore her?

Finally, after about another half hour of overthinking and feeling sorry for herself, Catra went back to sleep...

When Catra woke up again that morning, she sighed, no longer able to ignore the burning rays of the sun shining directly above her eyes.

Sitting up and groaning, she nearly panicked when she saw that Adora wasn't in bed with her.

Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no.

Going full panic mode, Catra searched the bathroom and the closet, making her way downstairs.

"Adora? Dora! Bunny, where are you?"

"I'm right here!" A voice called from the kitchen.

Nearly tripping on her own two feet, Catra couldn't get to the kitchen fast enough, panting and looking up at Adora.

The blonde girl had a mixing bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other, a bright smile across her face and a bit of pancake batter on her right cheek.

Catra caught her breathe and exhaled. "Oh thank God...I was so worried when you weren't in bed..."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Adora blushed. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought I'd make us some breakfast."

Catra nodded and climbed onto the counter, sitting down and swinging her legs.

A part of her wanted to hug Adora from behind while she cooked like all the sappy couples in movies did.

Feeling guilt, she shook her head and tried to think of something else, but her brain was hooked on Adora, Adora, Adora...

She wanted all of the couple-y things with Adora. She wanted to take her horseback riding. She wanted to take cheesy Disneyworld kissing photos with her. She wanted to be that annoying couple on social media that posted every one month anniversary. She wanted to be the kind of girlfriends that said 'fuck PDA laws, i'm gonna kiss her anyways.'

"Something on your mind, Catra?" Adora asked, pouring the batter evenly into a pan.

"Hm? Oh, no." She said, surprised that Adora could read her expression. She couldn't help but feel proud of her. This was something Adora had really been working on.

Catra then put on her sly, confident facade and made her way closer to Adora. "Just admiring my handy work." She said, looking at Adora's nails. "Red's definitely your color." she purred.

Then, she remembered the dream she had. Adora in that red lingerie...that red lipstick...God, red really _is_ her color.

"Thanks." Adora beamed, flipping the pancakes and humming. "I wasn't too sure about them at first, but I think I like them."

Melog jumped onto the counter, mewling at Catra to feed him.

"Okay, okay." Catra rolled her eyes and grabbed the tuna-flavored cat food. Adora insisted on buying him the good stuff. Spoiled motherfucker cat.

"Sooooo." Catra said, leaning against the island table as nonchalantly as she could. "Prom is coming up soon."

Adora's eyes seemed to widen at the mention of prom. She rubbed her arm and looked down, mumbling something to herself.

"What was that?" Catra asked, furrowing her eyebrows a bit.

Adora turned her back and put the pancakes on a plate.

"Are you planning on going...?" Catra asked, wanting to stay on the subject. Maybe she'd finally manage to get the balls to ask Adora...

"I don't know..." Adora said, setting the plate down on the counter, rubbing the back of her neck. "Huntara asked me..."

It was like the world stopped spinning. Catra literally felt her heart stop and then crumble into pieces, feeling each individual one hit her chest like hot coals.

"Oh..."

"I didn't say yes, though." Adora said quickly. "I don't know if I'm gonna go or not. I told her that I'm mostly comfortable around you and I didn't want you to be alone so-"

"No no no, Adora, really it's fine." Catra said, feeling her face burn up as she grabbed a pancake. "Don't worry about me...the truth is...I have a prom date too."

"...Really? You do?" Adora said, her eyes flashing with an emotion even Catra couldn't read. Pain? Confusion? Sadness?

"Yeah - um...Scorpia! Yeah, she and I are going together."

"Scorpia? You mean the Scorpia I live with?" Adora asked, a little confused.

"That's the one!" Catra said sheepishly, practically sweating. "We're going together."

"She never mentioned anything about it..."

"It's kind of a low-key thing..." Catra said, biting her lip.

"Oh...well, I hope you guys have fun." Adora said. "I guess I can tell Huntara yes then..."

Fuck fuck fuck. This wasn't how Catra had planned things.

Now Huntara was totally gonna sweet Adora off of her feet with her huge muscles and confident attitude and Catra's worst nightmare was gonna come true...

She was gonna lose Adora...

Catra tried not to think of those thoughts. Maybe Huntara and Adora were only going as friends...

Feeling a queasiness in her stomach, Catra pushed away the plate of pancakes, letting Adora have the rest.

"I really should get going." Adora said, making her way upstairs to pack her belongings.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Catra asked.

"Oh, no, I'd hate to be a burden..." Adora said, shaking her head and making her way up the stairs as Catra followed.

"Adora, listen, wait-" Catra said, putting a hand on the blonde girls's shoulder.

“I really gotta get home, Catra.”

“What’s wrong? You aren’t acting yourself...”

“I’m fine.” The blonde said, shrugging Catra’s shoulder off. “I just...I gotta get home.”

“Adora, you really aren’t being fair!”

“How?”

“You can’t seriously be mad at me for going to prom with someone else when you were planning on doing the same thing!”

Adora gripped the staircase. “I wasn’t planning on going with Huntara!” She said, tears of anger streaming down her face. “I was blowing her off for you! I’m not the one who asked someone else! I couldn’t control her asking me!” She said, wiping her tears off and making her way to Catra’s room, grabbing her bag.

Catra’s eyes widened. “Adora, please, I’m sorry-”

“I have to get home, Catra.” She said, going down the stairs quickly.

“At least let me walk you home...”

“I’m fine! I’m not your little pet that needs to be taken care of!” Adora snapped, slamming the door behind her.

And Catra was alone, her entire world collapsing in less than 10 minutes...

Sobbing, she ran up to her room and flopped down on the bed when she felt something underneath her...

Adora had left Swift Wind.

Catra was tempted to run after her and return him, but she didn’t think Adora wanted to see her right now.

_‘Great, Catra’_ she thought to herself. _‘You let your insecurity drive away the one person in this world who still cares about you.’_

Hugging Swift Wind tightly, Catra cried and hoped that things would go back to normal soon.

And that Scorpia hadn’t already booked a prom date...


	4. Chapter 4

"What's wrong, Adora? You look...stressed?"

Adora sat up on her bed to see Perfuma and Mermista, worried expressions on their faces. They'd practically stared her down the entirety of dinner, and now that they were back in their rooms for the night, they finally had a chance to confront her.

"Just...girl stuff, I guess.

Both Mermista and Perfuma exchanged excited glances and Adora almost immediately regretted saying anything.

"Girl stuff?" Perfuma grinned, flopping down on the bed next to her. "You never talk about girl stuff with us! Spill everything!" The tanned freckled blonde grinned as Mermista put a thumbs up in interest, typing away on her phone as she lay back down on her own bed.

Adora groaned and took her hair out of its tight ponytail, letting it fall past her shoulders. "Just...prom, I guess..."

"Oh, did Catra finally ask you?" Mermista asked, turning to lay on her side in sudden interest as Perfuma immediately glared, jabbing her in the breast.

"Ouch! What'd I say?...Oh, that's right! You guys are fighting." The blue-haired female said, earning another glare from Perfuma. She put her hands up defensively. "My bad, my bad."

Adora hugged her knees. "Actually, the reason why we're fighting is because Huntara asked me."

Suddenly, Perfuma whipped around, an...odd expression on her face. "Huntara?"

"Yeah." Adora said softly, gently twirling her hair.

There was something in Perfuma's eyes that clouded whenever Adora said that name...

"Adora, you need to be very careful around her." Perfuma said, sitting close to her with a sigh. She then suddenly seemed to realize the expression on Adora's face. "Look, I'm not gonna tell you who you should and shouldn't hang out with, but Huntara is sort of a...wild card."

"So? I'm used to wild. I hang out with Catra - well, I used to."

The blonde shook her head. "Not the same kind - Just...be careful around Huntara, alright? I know that it's your life and I have to let you live it and learn for yourself...But just don't get hurt, alright?"

Adora felt a small pang of annoyance. She hated how condescending this conversation was going. She wasn't a helpless child.

And what did she mean by wild? She knew that Huntara was a rebel and that it was rumored that she was a gang leader, but she'd always been so sweet around Adora...

But another part of Adora softened. She knew that Perfuma was like a sister to her and just wanted to help. She liked knowing that someone cared for her.

"So what's got you all stressed about prom?" The motherly teen asked.

"Well, besides the fact that I can't dance and have never been to such a big event...I um...I don't really have a dress..."

Mermista then sat up, her interest again gained. "Oooooo I like dress talk! You should totally get red! It's really in right now. And you should show off your cleavage. You've got a better rack than _me_. Sex sells, Dora!"

"Oh, Adora, don't worry." Perfuma said, actively choosing to ignore Mermista's words of wisdom, sitting up to water one of the windowsill plants. "I've got you covered. We can go dress shopping tomorrow. I'm paying."

"Huh? No, I can't let you pay for my dress! Perfuma, that's a lot of money...I think. I don't really know how much dresses cost, but I'm guessing they're expensive."

"Adora, when my parents died, they left me so much money, I don't even know what to do with." The tan girl said, gently taking a lock of Adora's blonde hair and stroking it. "It would be an honor to treat my sisters to dresses and makeovers. Prom is a special night, kiddo."

"Then how come you haven't left this hellhole yet?" Adora asked softly, her blue eyes piercing into Perfuma's. "And don't call me kiddo. I'm 18!"

"I'm not leaving until all of my sisters are out of this place." She said sternly. "And that includes you. And as my sister, I am getting you a prom dress that you absolutely adore."

And Adora couldn't stop the happy feeling in her heart.

At lunch on Monday Adora felt queasy.

She'd been actively avoiding Catra in class and the hallways, dodging her everywhere she went.

Catra seemed to have taken the hint and left her alone.

But at lunch, Adora felt like she might pass out. She'd barely gotten enough sleep last night since she noticed that Swift Wind was missing. She'd never gone a night without him and spent most of it curled up into a cocoon of blankets, crying silently so no one in the Horde House could hear.

She'd noticed in the bathroom earlier the dark purple bags underneath her eyes from lack of sleep.

She was a mess.

Her stomach growled again for the hundredth time that day. She still didn't like eating the food at the group home and just the thought of it gave her anxiety...

Looking around for a place to sit, Adora purposefully avoided looking at she and Catra's normal table.

That's when she noticed Huntra waving at her, beckoning her over to her group.

Adora let out a small sigh of relief and made her way over.

"Scoot over, guys, let blondie sit next to me." Huntara grinned as Adora took a seat.

She didn't really like being referred to as blondie, but she liked how no one even batted an eye at her sitting at their table. It was like...like she belonged.

"I was just getting in a match with this dumbass." Huntara laughed, putting her arm on the table. "Watch this, Adora."

Adora's blue eyes widened when she saw Huntara flex her muscles, smirking as she began to arm-wrestle and equally as huge dude from across the table.

Adora couldn't stop her mind from racing.

_Oh shit oh shit big lady muscles, so strong, very hot, very gay very gay very gay very gay._

Huntara let out a victorious cheer as she won yet another match and looked over at Adora, wrapping an arm around her waist.

The girl shivered. She didn't really like being touched without being asked for permission...but she could handle this. She wanted to fit in here. She wanted to belong.

"Everyone, this is Adora." Huntara said, a gleam in her eyes. "And she's _my_ bitch."

She felt her eyes widen. Bitch...? She thought blondie was bad at first but this...she'd never been called a bitch before...at least, not to her face.

"She's hot." One girl commented casually.

"Dresses kinda weird though." Another commented. "Doesn't show enough skin for my liking."

"You really do have a thing for blondes, Huntara." A boy teased, narrowing his eyes. "Do tiny blonde girls do it for you?"

The entire table erupted into laughter, but Adora didn't really understand what was so funny...

She suddenly felt something on her thigh. She looked down to see Huntara's rather large hand tracing circles in her inner thigh, roughly grabbing it.

Adora squirmed a little uncomfortably, blinking away tears. She was not about to cry. Especially not in front of this crowd. She wasn't some weak little baby! She wanted to prove to everyone that she could take perfectly good care. She wanted to show Perfuma that she didn't need to be taken care of. She wanted to show Catra...

Catra.

Adora couldn't help but look over at Catra's table to see that the girls's mismatched eyes were piercing right back at her.

Catra immediately looked away and went back to pretending to pay attention to Scorpia, who was on a rant about who-knows-what.

Adora felt a twinge in her stomach. Anger? Jealousy?

She and Scorpia had never been particularly close, even though they both lived in the same group home.She wasn't sure she even liked Scorpia after this...

Well, if Catra had moved on so quickly, then two could play at that game.

Adora made her way into Huntara's lap, squirming a bit and making herself comfortable.

"Well well well, look who's finally coming out of her shell." Huntara smirked, letting her hands roam down Adora's body, causing the girl to shiver and fight back a whine.

Adora never felt so uncomfortable in her life. But she wanted Catra to see. See that she didn't need her. She didn't need to be taken care of by anyone. She could hang with a tough crowd. She was badass too.

Adora was never good with people and emotions. But when she looked up at Huntara, she realized that Huntara wasn't looking back at her. No, she was looking across the room to Perfuma.

On the other side of the cafeteria, Perfuma took a bite of her vegan veggie burger, eyes cast down on the table.

Huntara grunted a bit and squeezed Adora a bit tighter, her chin resting on Adora's shoulder as her hands roamed her body.

Adora felt like crying. She'd never felt so...objectified. Catra's touches were always gentle and soft and sweet...

With Huntara, she felt like a prize that had to be shown off. A trophy that Huntara could carry around as if to say, "Look everybody, I won!"

Every teacher monitoring the cafeteria pretended not to see. They were either on their phones or chatting amongst each other, but they didn't seem to notice or care the explicit PDA happening in the cafeteria.

Adora suddenly seemed to remember her objective and snuggled into Huntara's neck, glancing over at Catra.

That seemed to do the trick. Catra rolled her eyes and huffed, storming out of the cafeteria as the double doors slammed behind her.

"What's her problem?" Huntara sneered, though she was still eyeing Perfuma's table.

"No clue..." Adora muttered, unable to ignore the pit in her stomach.

It was almost overwhelming, all the emotions she was feeling...

But as Huntara gripped her thighs, Adora felt something that she only felt on rare occasions...

There was a heat between her legs. A different kind of pit in her stomach. It wasn't necessarily anxiety but...excitement...?

It was like her body craved more. More touching and more heat...

She felt dirty for it. She felt easy and she felt guilty.

But then she felt anger. Why shouldn't she be allowed to have fun? Why should she be ashamed? If Catra was allowed to make moves on Scorpia, then why couldn't she have fun with Huntara?

Adora was sick of pining over Catra. She'd spent too long waiting. All Catra saw her as was a friend...so why couldn't she move on too?

"Let's hang out after school, Princess." Huntara whispered in her ear. "We can go shopping - I'll buy you some clothes that show off what's mine."

Adora shivered. She was sick of playing the role of the innocent princess who had to comply to everyone else's rules. She was a badass too and was tired of playing everyone else's games.

And she was sick of feeling ashamed.

She smirked and looked back up at Huntara. "Yeah? Maybe you can help me out in the dressing room..."

She saw a gleam in Huntara's eyes that let her know she had said exactly what she wanted to hear.

Adora grinned.

She would show them all...

After the long school day dragged and progressed, Adora made her way to her locker, turning the combo and opening it up to find Swift Wind, a bag of chips, and a note.

The blonde girl unfolded the note out of sheer curiosity.

_Hey Adora,_

_You left Swift Wind at my house. I know that you're mad at me, but I know how important he is to you. I washed him so he smells extra nice - with the detergent you especially like. I miss you._

Adora read the note at least three times, trying to maintain her new hard exterior.

She grabbed Swift Wind, the smell comforting. Catra used the detergent that she used for her clothes, consequently making him smell like Catra.

Adora hugged the stuffed horse close, inhaling his scent. For a moment, she forgot about everything. She forgot about Huntara and the prom and Perfuma and Scorpia... She just wanted to be in Catra's arms again.

And then, she felt angry. She grabbed the note and tore it into shreds, leaving it on the ground. She grabbed Swift Wind and tossed him into the trash can, tears streaming down her face as she screamed.

A few people began to stare at her, which made her even angrier.

All of the confusion, frustration, rage, and jealously washed over her in waves, her face red as she screamed and punched a locker, talking to her knees and shaking.

No one was here to save her now...

There was no Catra, taking her in her arms and telling the others to fuck off. Catra wasn't here to hold Adora's shaking hands until she calmed down.

And she wasn't here to punch Octavia when she muttered the word she just did.

The r word. Right in front of Adora.

Adora's anger turned into embarrassment as she backed against the locker, face in her hands as she cried her eyes out, shaking and heaving.

People began to walk away, no longer interested. They had videos of Adora punching a locker and that seemed to be all they wanted. They didn't care for her tears.

No one cared. Catra was done with her, Perfuma probably hated her now, and after today, Huntara most likely wouldn't want to be seen with her...not that she didn't want Adora for anything but her body in the first place.

That's when she felt a hand tap her shoulder.

Looking up, Adora saw Glimmer, her hand extended and a warm look in her eyes.

Adora was shocked. Standing up, she took Glimmer's hand.

"You okay?" The pink-and-purple haired girl asked.

Adora nodded.

"You don't have to lie." Glimmer said softly. "It's okay that you're not okay."

Nodding slowly, the blonde girl wiped at her eyes and looked down, her face still red.

"Let's get you some ice for that hand." Another voice said. Bow, the boy from her physics class piped up, gently making his way over.

That's when Adora notices just how swollen her wrist was from that locker...staring down at the purple bruising, she sighed.

"You wanna talk about what happened?" Glimmer asked.

"Not really." Adora hung her head.

"That's fine." Bow said, reaching into his bag to find some bandages.

"You just carry a first-aid kit around?" Adora asked in confusion.

Bow smiled. "Glimmer tends to get hurt a lot and the nurse here is typically nowhere to be found."

Glimmer blushed a dark red shade. "I ran into the wall one time! One time and he thinks he has to take care of me!"

Adora laughed a bit. She was vaguely reminded of her and Catra...

Stop that, Adora she mentally scolded herself.

"You wanna go get ice cream with us?" Glimmer asked.

"Oh, I would, but I was supposed to hang out with Huntara today..."

"Huntara?" Bow asked. "The tall, muscular lady? I thought she left earlier with that Lonnie girl..."

Adora just sighed softly, too exhausted to care. She wasn't really counting on Huntara anyway. Maybe she could go solo to prom.

"Come on, you look like you could use a pick-me-up." Glimmer smiled softly. "And there's nothing I'm the world that screams happiness like a triple scoop hot fudge Sunday with rainbow sprinkles on top."

Grinning a bit, Adora nodded, picking at a thread on her sweater. "I guess so..."

Bow smiled and jumped up. "This is gonna be awesome."

"Don't scare her away, Bow."

As the two bickered and flirted, Adora smiled and looked down at her feet.

Maybe she'd just lost her prom date and her reputation, but...maybe she'd also gained some really nice friends.

She and Glimmer and talked already and were somewhat friends, but never on a hanging-out level.

As they walked out of the school, Adora couldn't help but think of Catra...

Catra sighed as softball practice ended. She had stayed later than usual since she figured Adora didn't need her to ride the bus with her anymore. Catra groaned, sweaty and thirsty.

A cold towel wrapped around her neck, she walked into the school, grabbing a cold water out of her locker and chugging it.

Throwing the bottle in the trash can, she recognized something familiar in there...

Glancing around to make sure no one was around to watch her dig in the trash, Catra reached in and pulled out the Swift Wind plush.

Eyes wide, she held the stuffed horse close.

What happened...why was it in there?

Suddenly feeling worried for Adora, Catra pulled out her phone to text her, then stopped herself as she remembered today.

Maybe Adora had finally outgrown Swift Wind...

She thought about lunch that afternoon. How Adora seemed so comfortable cuddled up in Huntara's lap, letting her touch her everywhere.

Catra felt her blood boil just thinking about it.

She didn't like seeing Huntara's hands all over Adora like that. _Her_ Adora.

She had decided then and there that she hated Huntara. Adora wasn't some little toy that she could play with or show off. She was a person.

She didn't know how things were done in the Crimson Waste, the gang that Huntara was rumored to be apart of, but she did know that Adora wasn't some dolly that Huntara could just touch and played with.

Sighing, Catra closed her locker and opened up her SnapChat, clicking on a random story. Her heterochromatic eyes widened when she saw a video of the familiar blonde Adora punching a locker and falling onto the ground, sobbing.

Immediately, Catra felt a pit in her stomach...how could someone film this?

There were more. The entire school was posting Adora's breakdown, making fun of her and laughing at her.

Catra was seething. One thing that really got to her was when she heard a familiar voice in the video shout the r word. She couldn't help but watch as Adora's blue eyes widened, more tears spilling down her face.

Catra shoved the phone back into her pocket, putting Swift Wind in her backpack and bicycling back to her house.

Throwing Swift Wind back into the washing machine to clean him up, Catra threw on a tank top and began to punch her pillow.

The pillow was no longer her pillow. It was everyone who had hurt her Adora. It was Huntara, Octavia, and... _herself_.

Catra took a deep breath and slumped against the wall, hugging her knees.

All she wanted to do was make her Adora feel okay again...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was 3.1k words. i love you guys, don’t doubt that. anyways, prom chapter next????


	5. Chapter 5

Adora was...uncomfortable to say the least.

She stared at herself in the mirror so long that she couldn't even believe that she was a real person with a physical shape...

Growing up, she'd always been scrawny, lanky and thin. Not much had changed since the Horde House food made her too anxious to eat. Adora was used to wearing sweaters that made her feel warm, even in the summertime and late spring. They were like her shield of security.

But this dress made her feel sort of... _pretty_.

It was cherry red with a v-neck that made her feel a little scandalous. She was never too comfortable in anything she wore, but this dress sort of highlighted curves she didn't even know she _had_.

Mermista had insisted on curling her blonde hair while Perfuma took care of the makeup department. Who knew that so much shades of lipstick existed?

Growing up, she was raised not to be vain. Mr. Hordak already told her she was a problem child with her autism and that she wasn't special. Just a burden.

But tonight, Adora couldn't help but glance at herself a little while longer...she felt beautiful.

"You look like a princess." Perfuma said softly, gently putting a hand on Adora's arm.

"A princess?"

"Yeah...you just need one finishing touch." The blonde smiled, taking the flower she was hiding behind her back and gently placing it behind Adora's ear. "There you go. You're ready."

She sure hoped so.

Loud music and flashing lights were never really Adora's forte.

She'd decided to make herself scarce, unsure of who she could talk to.

She knew Bow and Glimmer were around here somewhere, but she didn't wanna be their pity third wheel.

The past few days, she'd enjoyed hanging out with them and they seemed to understand, or at least respect her.

The wallflower eyed couples dancing, friends laughing and going into the photo-booth together, horny teens sneaking touches and gropes any chance they get.

She felt a bit of anxiety in her stomach. With that video of her mental breakdown still circulating, she felt embarrassed. She pretended not to notice the pairs of eyes that glanced her way and ignored her.

Deciding she shouldn't stay in one place for too long (or else Perfuma would find her and force her onto the dance floor), she made her way over to the punch table.

She'd never had punch before and typically hated trying new things that were out of her comfort zone...but at least she'd look somewhat less of a dork just standing there.

Filling her cup with the ladle, she took a sip. It was...surprisingly good. She practically downed it all before refilling her cup.

"Hey Kid." A voice said from behind her.

Adora whipped around to see Huntara, hovering over her in a black suit with a purple tie.

"Oh - sorry, uh..." Adora scooter out of the way, allowing Huntara access to the punch bowl.

Great. One of the people she'd been trying to avoid tonight was standing right in front of her. This was awkward.

They'd never officially canceled their plans to go to prom together, but they hadn't spoken since Adora's meltdown either. It seemed to be a mutual agreement that they'd just not go together at all.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you." Huntara said, voice softening a bit. This was rare.

"Um...okay..."

Huntara led Adora to the bleachers, where a few other couples were either resting from the blisters on their feet or sucking each other's faces off.

Adora sat down and flattened out her dress. Wow, the texture was soft...

"I owe you an apology, Blon- Adora." Huntara corrected herself. "It's not often that I apologize but, well, you deserve it..."

She blinked. Huntara was...sorry?

"I used you. And I'm sorry for that. I objectified you for the purpose of making someone else jealous. You deserve better and-"

"Okay, stop." Adora said with a sigh. "You aren't...totally at fault here."

Huntara raised an eyebrow. "But-"

"I used you too." Adora blurted out. "Everything that happened in the lunchroom...it was consensual. I even initiated most of it...I wanted to get back at someone too." The girl admitted, fidgeting with her hands nervously.

"Wow." Huntara whistled a bit. "I gotta say, I'm impressed. Here I thought you were a goody-two-shoes. Maybe we're more alike than I thought."

"I know...I'm not proud of what I did." Adora said. "We were both wrong. But I'm not a victim in this situation."

Huntara nodded. "Well, thanks for coming clean. I guess we're all just a bunch of useless lesbians."

Adora stood up. "Hey, I'm not use- oh! That was a joke." She laughed.

Huntara stood up. "Well, now that we've got that settled and I'm not completely a bad guy, may I have this next dance?"

"Sure." Adora laughed and let Huntara lead her to the dance floor, swaying softly.

And then it was awkward.

"So...who were you trying to make jealous?" Adora asked.

At the look on Huntara's face, Adora immediately regretted asking. She knew she was bad at conversation, but she didn't realize she was this bad.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that..."

"No no...I'm just surprised you don't know."

"Know what?"

"...You gotta promise you won't get mad."

"I promise." Adora said, moving her feet along with Huntara to the music. She felt like a chicken with its head cut off.

"Alright..." Huntara sighed, dancing along with the music. "Last year, Perfuma and I...we dated in secret. And let me tell you, kid, it wasn't just a fling. We loved each other."

Adora looked up. Even she could recognize the pain behind Huntara's eyes. "So what happened?"

"We come from two different worlds." She laughed, almost bitterly. "She liked peace rallies and mediation ceremonies while I liked street racing and gang fights."

Adora bit her lip.

"We broke up after one particular fight. She said she couldn't stand to watch me keep getting hurt in Saturday Night Fight Tournaments. Said she couldn't bare to lose me like that. So she ended things on her own terms."

"So you decided you'd get with her foster sister to try to win her back." Adora said, slowly connecting the pieces of the puzzle.

"Well, God, when you put it that way, I just feel like an idiot." Huntara laughed, gazing at Perfuma across the room, nearly dropping Adora. "And it looks like your little Catra friend had the same idea as me."

Across the room, Catra was dancing with Scorpia, though her heart didn't seem into it. Catra wore a purple suit with a matching tie that was loose and undone. Scorpia looked absolutely delighted to be there, but a Catra not so much.

"How'd you know?" Adora asked.

"Besides the fact that she's been staring at you all night?" Huntara teased. "An idiot can tell how close you guys are. And I consider myself the utmost idiot."

Adora sighed softly.

"You should go talk to her." Huntara said, putting a hand on Adora's shoulder. "Like I said, you and I ate more alike than you might think. Go get her while you've still got the chance."

"I will." Adora promised. "But first...more punch."

Catra was annoyed.

Scorpia was a sweet person, there was no denying that. But every time she opened her mouth, Catra wanted to tape it shut and not in a kinky way.

She was sure that any other time, they would've gotten along. But Catra was missing her Adora...And Scorpia just wasn't Adora.

She had to admit, though, she felt pretty suave on her suit. She'd seen the stares that girls had been giving her all night and she sort of liked the power she radiated.

"You know, I am so glad you asked me to prom." Scorpia smiled. "I know that we were never really close before, but I feel that this has really bonded us, y'know?"

"Mhm..." Catra noted, sneaking a glance over at Adora.

Earlier, she'd seen Adora dancing with that...that giantess Huntara and was so jealous she couldn't even see straight. And Huntara was like 3 times the size of Adora, so she pretty much blocked her the entire time.

Now, Catra could finally get a good look at Adora.

She was perfect. Her hair fell down her shoulders in loose curls. Catra knew it was taking everything in Adora's power not to tie it back into its regular ponytail.

And that dress. It was strapless and smooth and showed off Adora's figure effortlessly. It was like she didn't even have to try to be perfect. She just was.

"Whatcha lookin at?" Scorpia asked, then seemed to notice her staring at Adora. "Wow, your friend is gonna get drunk off her ass!"

"Drunk?" Catra suddenly snapped back into existence. "What do you mean drunk?"

"You don't know?" Scorpia asked. "I thought everyone know the punch is spiked!"

"Well I didn't! Holy fuck, I gotta help Adora!" Catra said, immediately making her way over to the punch table.

But it looks like someone already beat her to it.

What was her name...Sparkles? Glitter? Whatever. The pink-and-purple haired girl was gently trying to drag Adora away from the punch bowl as the blonde protested.

Catra crossed her arms and watched Glimmer lead Adora to the bleachers where another boy - what was his name...? Boy would have to do for now. Boy was sitting and trying to calm the drunk Adora down.

Catra glared and made her way over, abrasively pushing Glitter and Boy out of the way.

"Hey! Rude!" Boy muttered.

Catra quickly shut him up with a glare, then softened as she looked down at the drunk blonde, who was currently giggling her ass off.

"Catra..." Adora wheezed. "Catra Weaver...Catherine Weaver!" She laughed, tilting her head back and snorting.

"Congrats, you know my full name." Catra grimaced and hoped that nobody else had heard that.

"Are we still fiiiiiiighting, Kitty Cat?" Adora asked, climbing into Catra's lap and cupping her face, squeezing her cheeks like an old lady at church.

"No, no we aren't." Catra said softly, talking to her as if she were a child.

"No more violence! Stop the violence!" Adora sang happily, hugging Catra's waist tightly. "I'm so happy we're best friends again!"

"God, how much punch did you drink?" Catra asked.

"Lots and lots!" Adora giggled as Boy and Glitter just blinked, unsure of what to do.

_Typical_. Catra sneered to herself. _Of course they don't know how to take care of Adora. My Adora. They don't know her like I know her! They don't know the first thing about her!_

Okay, so maybe that was a little unfair. Deep down, Catra knew she wasn't sure how to handle things either. But she would do a damn better job than these clowns.

"Come on." Catra stood up and led Adora to the bathroom. "Let's get to cleaned up."

"Woah, where do you think you're going?" Glitter asked, Boy right beside her.

"Well, Glitter, if you don't mind, I was gonna go help my friend. If that's alright with you, your majesty."

"First off, it's _Glimmer_ -"

"That's what I said." Catra rolled her eyes. "You go dance with your little friend, Boy-"

" _Bow_!"

"And I'll take care of miss too-drunk-to-stand over here." Catra said, gently taking Adora's hand. "I'll take good care of her. She's still my best friend."

This answer seemed to please Glitter and Boy - Glimmer and Bow. They reluctantly made their way back onto the dance floor as Catra practically dragged Adora to the bathroom she she sang a song about horses.

"What are we in here for?" Adora asked, humming. "Are we about to have extreme lesbian hardcore ssssssexxxx?"

"What?" Catra turned bright red. "Okay no. We're here to get you cleaned up since you spilled punch all over your dress." The brunette flustered, grabbing some papers towels and gently dabbing them over Adora's dress.

Adora just hummed happily, hugging Catra again.

Who knew she was such an emotional drunk?

"I missed you..." she whispered.

Catra bit her lip and paused. She couldn't help but feel that creeping, sinking sensation in her heart sneak back up on her. "I missed you too..."

"Let's not fight ever again, mkay?" Adora still hugged her tightly.

The freckled girl sighed. "We gotta sober you up before you get home..." she said, grabbing the water bottle and trying to the blonde to drink it.

She knew that the Horde House would punish her if she came back drunk. And it wouldn't just be a slap on the wrist, either.

Adora had told her horror stories about that place, and Catra would be damned if she let them hurt her Adora again.

The blonde suddenly began to kiss Catra's neck, trailing down to her collarbone...

Catra froze. Woah. Was this real? Was this happening...?

In another situation, maybe, Catra would melt into it. She'd tangle her fingers in Adora's hair and let her love on her all she wanted.

But not like this. Adora was drunk. She didn't know what she was doing. And Catra was not about to take advantage of her drunk friend.

The kisses weren't real. They were just mistakes that Adora would regret in the morning.

Without another word, Catra grabbed Adora's wrist and picked her up, slinging her over her shoulders and carrying her out.

She had to find Perfuma. Adora couldn't go back home tonight.

As Catra made her way into the crowd, she spotted Perfuma, crowded by a bunch of other teens as they danced and cheered.

She sighed. She'd have to text her later. They'd exchanged numbers awhile ago in order to coordinate things such as sleepovers and hangouts in terms of Adora.

Catra held Adora, who was still singing and cheering happily, though she seemed to have calmed down just a tad. Adjusting her so that she was now bridle style in her arms, Catra prepared for the long journey home.

Catra had never been more relived that Ms. Weaver was out of town.

She had managed to lug Adora upstairs and changed her into a pair of pajama pants and a tank top, laying her punch-stained dress out on a chair.

Adora yawned, seeming to come off of her drunk high as Catra began to text Perfuma, telling her that Adora was safe at her house and to tell Glitter and Boy that she was okay.

Catra sighed and watched as Adora tried to eat one of her pillows.

“Catraaaaaa, I can’t sleep.” Adora whimpered.

“Have you tried?” She asked, handing her the bottle of water.

“Well, no, but still!”

That’s when Catra remembered something: Swift Wind.

Making her way to the dresser, she grabbed the plushie and gently plopped him into Adora’s arms, heart warming as she watched the girl’s eyes light up.

“You saved him?”

“And washed him.” Catra chuckled. “For the second time this week.”

“Oh, Catra, I love you!” Adora squealed and joy and kissed her cheek.

Catra’s face burned hot. Adora...loved her?

She didn’t stop the blonde as she hugged her tightly, or when she yawned and eventually fell asleep, nestling her way into Catra’s neck.

Catra simply held her and stroked her hair, though she was unable to sleep, her mind racing a mile a minute.

What did she mean she loved her? Like...as a friend? Or no, maybe not at all. Maybe she was just drunk and emotional and didn’t know what she was saying...she’d probably say that to anyone, right.

Catra had heard the phrase that drunk words are just sober thoughts and figured that it was created by some silly single millennial who was gonna die alone.

But she couldn’t help but think back to when Adora kissed her neck...

She shivered and wished that Adora had done that sober so she could actually enjoy it...

Catra sighed and held her best friend close, wishing desperately that tomorrow Adora wouldn’t regret coming home with her for the night.

But for now, she could just keep dreaming.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING ⚠️: mentions of vomit

Catra was awoken by the sound of...roaring? No, that wasn't right.

Looking over to her left, she noticed that the blonde girl had disappeared, her figure no longer draped over the pillows.

Quickly getting up and rushing to the bedroom, Catra saw Adora, hunched over the toilet and barfing her brains out, sweating and panting.

"I've got you." Catra said softly, gently taking the blonde's hair and pulling it back for her, rubbing her back soothingly as Adora went back to making dinosaur noises.

Finally, the paler girl groaned and leaned back against the wall, holding her head in her hands. "Ughhh...don't feel good..." she muttered.

Catra gently slid down next to her, rubbing her back. "I know, Bunny. You're hungover."

" _Hungover_?" She asked, sounding almost offended. "But I didn't-"

"Punch was spiked." Catra muttered. "Some idiot probably snuck in a flask."

"It hurts so _baaaad_." Adora groaned again, laying her head on Catra's shoulder as Catra blushed softly and held her, not daring to move a muscle and disturb her.

The brunette felt awful for Adora. She didn't know she was getting drunk; she just thought she was enjoying some lunch. She didn't choose to be hungover. But maybe Catra was just naturally sympathetic over Adora.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop you..."

Adora suddenly looked up at her. "I'm not your responsibility, Catra."

"I know..." she muttered, looking down at her knees.

There were a million questions running through Catra's mind. Did Adora remember kissing her neck? Was she still into Huntara? Did she...did she mean it when she said she loved her?

Catra felt a hand touch her shoulder.

"But thank you for, um, saving me, I guess." Adora smiled and brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"No problem" Catra smiled, snuggling into her best friend. She smelled like vomit and alcohol, but it was easy to look past. She was finally with her Adora again.

"So...we're friends again?"

"I'd like that." Catra smiled, standing up and offering a hand to Adora, pulling the other girl up. "We can talk later, but for now why don't you take a shower and I'll make you some tea."

Adora nodded. After a final hug, Catra made her way downstairs to nurse her Adora back to health.

After about 10 minutes of meticulously balancing the right combination of chamomile tea for Adora, the brunette made her way upstairs, balancing a cup of tea in one hand and water bottles and Aspirin for the headache.

She knew exactly what to do in these situations; years of having Ms. Weaver come home drunk has racked up some experience.

As she made her way up the stairs, the sight on her bed was enough to nearly make her drop everything.

Adora was wrapped in a fluffy white towel that barely covered her. Her wet hair spilled down like a blonde curtain around her shoulders. The towel, or lack thereof, showed off the shape of her breasts, the only purpose being to cover her nipples.

Quickly, Catra realized she was staring and looked away, profusely aware that she was redder than a tomato. "Uhh, do you need clothes?" And asked, suddenly very interested in the floor.

"Yeah," Adora said, not seeming to notice. "I checked your closet, but I couldn't find any clothes."

"Oh - right! They're in the laundry room. I'll go them them." The brunette said, setting the chamomile tea and water on the nightstand, handing Adora the Aspirin.

Making her way to the laundry room to fish out a fresh clean shirt and a pair of shorts, Catra couldn't get the image out of her mind...

And maybe she didn't want to.

As she walked back into the bedroom, she found that Adora had already fallen back asleep, snuggled into Swift Wind with her barely-even-a-towel wrapped around her.

Catra softened a bit, setting the clothes on the bed and gently putting the blanket over Adora, kissing her forehead.

"Sleep tight, Princess."

With that, Catra sighed softly and climbed off of bed, hooking her x-box up to the tv and sitting down on the ground, her back against the bed as she grabbed the controller.

Besides softball, Catra loved video games. Maybe it was a form of escapism, but she didn't really care. She'd tried to get Adora to share her love of virtual games, but the other girl majorly sucked. She didn't even have enough coordination to play Mario Kart on the Wii.

But that was okay. Catra sort of liked having this one thing to be hers and only hers.

Melog mewled and made his way into the bedroom, curling up next to Catra as she smiled and absentmindedly pet his head.

And the game started.

Catra wasn't sure how much time had passed. At some point, Melog had gotten up to get some catnip at least 6 times.

The brunette's attention was only drawn away from the game when she heard the sound of Adora's footsteps walking to the bathroom to put on the clothes Catra had laid out for her.

Smiling to herself, she went back to shooting evil drones, biting her lip in concentration. Her shoulders were tense as she put the controller in a death grip.

Her character was facing the final battle, turning the corner to await their destiny and finish off the boss for once and for-

"Hi." A voice rang.

Catra paused the game to see Adora wearing her t-shirt, yawning and making her way over to the freckled girl, hugging her from behind.

"Hey there." She grinned.

"You paused your game for me?" Adora teased. "I must be pretty special then."

Catra blushed softly. Of course Adora was special. She was the beam of sunlight shining down on this miserable, dark planet. She was the first droplet of rain in the midst of a drought. She was the single, blooming spring flower to signify the ending of a harsh winter.

And Catra loved her.

She loved her.

Damn, she _loved_ her.

"You feeling better?" Catra asked.

"Yeah - your tea worked. And the three hours of sleep I got."

"Three _hours_?" Catra asked. "I was playing this game for _three hours_?"

"I'm not surprised." Adora giggled, hugging her waist from behind and nestling her face in the back of her neck. "So watcha playin?"

Eyes lighting up, Catra unpaused the game and began launch into an explanation of the lore and backstory of the game, rambling about the plot as she fought the boss level.

Adora listened to every bit of it, tangling her fingers through Catra's hair softly. Usually, it was Adora who was talking a mile a minute about her special interests, but she liked this change of pace. She could listened to the passionate Catra for hours on end.

Reaching under the bed to grab the hair brush, Adora gently began to brush Catra's hair. Adora was the only person Catra trusted with it because she was so gentle. Not once had she ever yanked. Not once.

"I missed you." Adora smiled.

"That sounds so good to hear you say sober." Catra laughed, still focused on the game.

"I didn't do anything crazy last night, did I?" Adora asked.

Catra paused, memories of the kisses on her neck flooding her brain. Momentarily, she forgot all about the video game, wincing when she realized her character had died.

"No...no, you didn't do anything crazy. Just laughed a lot." She said softly, turning off the Xbox and sitting next to the blonde.

"Good." She smiled.

"For the record, I missed you too." Catra whispered, scooting a bit closer to Adora.

There was a silence between them. It made the entire room buzz with a central agony they both dreaded.

"Can I tell you something?" Catra asked softly.

"Anything." Adora said, letting her hand drop to the floor.

"I wanted to go with you." She admitted. "I wanted to ask you, but you just seemed so into Huntara...and I was jealous. I never asked Scorpia until I found out you'd already been asked."

"Really?" Adora asked softly, head perking up.

"Yeah." Catra eyed the floor shamefully. "I was an idiot."

"If you're an idiot, then I'm an even bigger idiot." Adora smiled, gently touching the other girl's cheek. "I wanted to go with you too. Huntara's just a friend."

"Good, because I was jealous as hell." Catra said.

There was another silence.

And then laughter. Both girl giggled and snorted until their sides hurt.

Eventually, they both leaned back against the bed. At some point, their hands had intertwined and neither of them dared to let go.

Catra then stood up, pulling Adora with her, still holding her hand.

"What are we doing?" The blonde laughed.

"You'll see." Catra laughed, grabbing a blanket from off the bed and leading Adora downstairs to the pantry.

"Seriously, Catra, what are we doing?" She giggled.

The brunette just smirked as she raided the food, grabbing chips, sodas, fruits, and other snacks she knew Adora liked.

Catra led them out the back door onto the patio, their bare feet grazing the grass as they walked out through Ms. Weaver’s garden.

The freckled girl lay down the blanket. “M’lady.” She laughed, gesturing for Adora to sit down.

The blonde laughed and opened the bag of Doritos, scarfing them down as Catra sat across from her, grabbing one of the roses from the bush and picking off the thorns, placing it in Adora’s hair.

“What is all this?”

“Our own prom.” Catra grinned, taking another rose and pinning it on her shirt. “Hope this isn’t too cheesy.”

“Not at all.” She laughed, grabbing a strawberry from the bin and feeding it to Catra as both girls laughed.

Then, Catra stood up. “I believe you owe me a dance.”

Adora smirked and got on her feet, taking Catra’s hand. “Then let’s dance.”

And so they did. Their bare feet danced on the grass, careful not to step on any stickers or twigs. There was no slow music or fancy lighting. There were no fancy suits or dresses. Just the sound of crickets chirping and a sunset. And two best friends in simple t-shirts.

But they didn’t mind. They had each other.

Catra dipped Adora, her hands on her waist and Adora’s hands gripping her shoulders tightly, clearly shocked.

“I won’t drop you.” Catra promised.

Adora softened. “I don’t expect you to.”

Catra suddenly became very aware of how close their lips were. They were inches away from each other.

“You won prom queen.” Catra grinned, breathing heavily.

‘ _She’s right here’_ she thought to herself. ‘ _It’s now or never, Catra, just kiss her, you idiot! Don’t chicken out now!_

“Does that make you prom queen as well?” Adora laughed, looking into her eyes.

“Of course.” She smiled, standing up straight, no longer dipping Adora. The two girls held onto each other, their gazes unbreakable.

Time stopped. Everything else around them froze. An asteroid could’ve hit the face of the Earth and neither girls could’ve cared.

Catra looked at the girl, hands still fixated on her waist.

They moved closer, their lips just centimeters apart as Catra’s hands tightened around Adora’s waist.

They were so close...

And then she let go.

Maybe someday soon she’d find the courage to kiss Adora. To tell her how much she loved her. To explain that she needed her in her life. That she was the only person in this sad world that made Catra want to get out of bed in the morning.

But today was not that day.

“Come on.” Catra sat down. “Let’s eat.”

Adora seemed crestfallen, but she said nothing as she sat back down, popping a strawberry into her mouth as the two began to talk about school and caught up on what they’d missed in each others’ lives, reconciling for all the time they’d wasted apart from each other.

Catra still felt that emptiness inside of her.

She should’ve kissed her.

And she spent the rest of the night cursing the stars in regret.


	7. Chapter 7

"We could run away if we wanted to..."

"And go where?"

Catra and Adora sat on the roof of Ms. Weaver's house, staring up at the sunrise. The morning was a bit chilly, but neither seemed to care. The breeze slipped through the trees and caused both to shiver. The grass was dewy and the birds were still chirping their early morning songs.

"Anywhere we want to." Catra shrugged, dangling her legs off the ledge like a child. "Just the two of us, living off the land. Never in one place for too long."

Adora laughed a bit, shivering as the wind suddenly picked up. The brunette quickly slipped off her light jacket and slipped it around the blonde's shoulders.

"We would eat at those cool diners every night." Adora added on, leaning next to Catra. "Apple pie and cherry cokes for the rest of our days."

"I'm serious!" Catra exclaimed dramatically as Adora giggled. God, the sound of her laugh filled her heart with butterflies. "We could get up and go right now!"

The blue eyed girl just laughed and shook her head. "You're funny, Cat."

Catra sighed wistfully. There they were, just two kids imagining a better life for themselves. A life with no abusive parents, no weight of GPAs on their shoulders, and no hiding behind masks of what they really wanted.

Adora pulled her knees close to her chest and watched the pinks and oranges of the sky. She couldn't help but wonder why Catra didn't kiss her last night.

She knew she wasn't always the best at picking up cues, but she was positive that there was something between them...perhaps she was wrong.

"We're getting out of this town some day, Adora. I promise."

Adora stared at Catra. Catra stared back. A silent conversation with their eyes, their gazes refusing to break.

Finally, Adora mustered up what little courage she had to speak.

"You're my best friend in the entire world." The blonde whispered. "We'll make it out. We _have_ to."

Catra pulled her close, the girls hugging and listening to each other's heartbeats. Catra didn't ever wanna let go. Adora smelled like vanilla and the fresh promise of hope.

Finally, Adora pulled away. She was always the first to break a hug.

"I'm sorry." Catra said quickly. "I should've asked you first. I know you don't like hugs."

"You don't have to ask." Adora whispered. "Your hugs are always the exceptions."

The freckled girl's heart could've burst then and there. She eyed Adora's pink, bow-shaped lips. She wondered how they would taste. How warm they'd feel against her own.

Finally, Catra stood up and grabbed the ladder. "We should probably get going if we wanna meet up with your friends."

Adora's eyes lit up. "So you'll go?"

The other girl grimaced. They had plans to meet with Adora's new friends Bow and Glimmer at the ice cream parlor today. While reluctant, Catra eventually agreed to go. But only because Adora had been begging her for almost 13 hours straight.

"Yes." She groaned, putting her feet on the ladder and offering a hand to the other girl. "But if they start getting on my nerves, Sprinkles and the Boy are gonna get ice cream straight to their faces."

Adora giggled. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"Eat your _own_ ice cream, Adora!" Catra teased, ruffling her hair.

The four teens sat in a booth at the most popular (and only) ice cream parlor in town. It was an old-fashioned diner themed joint with neon signs and pastel walls. Bow and Glimmer, seated across from Catra and Adora, were sharing a huge sundae with a cherry on top.

Catra could almost gag at how sickeningly cute they were as they argued over who should get the cherry.

" _You_ take it!"

"No, you take it, baby." Glimmer insisted. "I had it last time."

" _I'll_ take it." Catra said, leaning over and grabbing the cherry, eating it as the couple stared and began to laugh.

She looked back over at Adora, who was still mooching off of her ice cream. After spending the first 18 years of her life eating only vanilla ice cream, Catra had finally convinced her to try strawberry.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

Adora was now practically in Catra's lap trying to fiend off of her dessert. But Catra wasn't complaining.

She felt a little out of place, though. She wasn't used to adding two more people to their dynamic. Of course, Catra knew it was irrational to feel so jealous, but that didn't mean she didn't feel it at all...

Everyone loved Adora. Hell, it was even in her name. And seeing all of these people in Adora's life made her feel...well, like she was being replaced.

Catra knew she was being ridiculous. That Adora was just a big-hearted, joyful person. Who _wouldn't_ wanna be around her?

But she couldn't shake that gnawing thought in the back of her brain...

"Adora!" A voice suddenly called out. "Hey, Adora!"

Catra looked up to see Lonnie from their school walking up to their table, wearing the a ridiculous hat that all employees had to wear.

Adora smiled and looked up at the girl. "Lonnie! Hi! I didn't know you worked here."

"Just started last week." She smiled softly. "I'm technically still in training, but we're understaffed at the moment, so I get to take care of orders!"

"How's that working out?" Glimmer asked curiously.

Lonnie laughed and shrugged. "Well, I accidentally put nuts on a sundae for someone with a nut allergy and almost sent them to the hospital, but other than that, I'm a total pro!"

Adora let out a giggle that soon turned into a snort, which made Catra a bit jealous. Okay, a lot jealous.

_That wasn't even that funny_. The brunette thought to herself. _How unprofessional._

"Yeah, well, maybe you should get back to work." Catra muttered and waved her off. "We don't need you right now. We'll let you know if someone spills some hot fudge or something."

Lonnie narrowed her eyes a bit, but chose to ignore her. "I'm on my break right now."

"Sit with us." Bow grinned, gesturing towards a chair as Lonnie grabbed it, pulling it up to the table to sit.

Catra held her tongue. She and Lonnie already didn't get along due to softball and their almost life-long rivalry of fighting over pitching position.

But she didn't like the way Lonnie looked at Adora. And this was entire new territory. This was _her_ Adora.

"Nice hat." Catra seethed, getting another jab in, staring up at the ridiculous pink hat that came with their uniforms.

Lonnie just glared again, then turned back to Adora. "Hey, you should apply here! We could use all the help we could get!"

"You think so?" The blonde asked, eyes lighting up.

"Yeah." Lonnie grinned. "It pays pretty well and we get free ice cream sometimes. Plus, it would be fun spending time with you - this place could use a cutie like you."

Catra's head jerked up, nearly choking on her spoon as she looked at Adora, who had a nice pink blush spread all over her face.

"Maybe I should." Adora shrugged as Lonnie handed her an application.

"Think about it." The girl stood up. "Well, my break's over. I gotta head back to scooping ice cream. It was nice seeing you again, Adora. See you in history class!"

With that, Lonnie walked away. Catra could've burned a whole through her braids with the death stare she was giving the back of her head.

"Unbelievable." She muttered, then laughed. "She actually thinks you wanna work here, Adora!"

"Well, why not?" The blonde asked. "I could use the money and Mr. Hordak is always complaining that I don't hold my own. Maybe a job will get me out of the house more."

Catra blinked. She looked down at the table and took a deep breath. She didn't want another repeat of the Huntara situation. She didn't want to get jealous just because Adora was giving another girl attention.

But damn, it was different this time. Lonnie genuinely seemed interested in Adora...

And Catra wasn't worthy enough for her.

"I-I gotta go." Catra said, standing up suddenly.

"What? Why?" Adora stood up.

Catra grabbed her jacket and shrugged it on, quickly making her way out the doors.

Sighing and sitting back down, the blonde slumped into the booth. "I wonder what's wrong with her."

Bow and Glimmer quickly exchanged glances, then looked at Adora as if to say, " _Um, Hello, isn't it obvious?_ "

"What?"

"She's jealous!" Glimmer exclaimed.

" _Jealous_? Jealous of _what?"_

"Dude, Lonnie was totally flirting with you!" Bow said, setting his spoon down.

"Flirting? I didn't know that!" Adora threw her hands up in exasperation. "Why didn't she tell me she was flirting?"

"Because that's not how flirting works?" Glimmer laughed a bit.

"This isn't funny." Adora groaned, laying her head down on the table. "Why are girls so confusing?"

"Hey, boys aren't much easier." Glimmer teased, nudging Bow. "One time, he wouldn't talk to me for 2 hours because I forgot his favorite color."

Bow crossed his arms. "I'm still upset about that."

The couple laughed, but Adora couldn't help but sigh.

"Why would Catra even be jealous?"

"Adora, are you serious? She's practically head-over-heels for you!" Glimmer said, brushing a bit of the blonde's hair out of her face.

"Huh?"

"Come on, Adora, she's been simping over you ever since you two got here. She doesn't seem like the type of girl to just let anyone steal her ice cream."

"Simping?" Adora raised an eyebrow.

Glimmer rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Bow just learned that word from the Internet last week and has been trying to incorporate it in so everything. The point is, Catra _likes_ you, Adora."

Adora blushed as she thought about last night and the dancing and the warm, fuzzy feeling in her stomach...

And then she began to wonder why Catra didn't kiss her.

Picking at a thread on her red sweater, Adora stayed silent and shook her head.

"Catra's just a friend. She's not into me like that." She sighed, standing up and fixing her ponytail. "If she did, she would've told me by now."

And without another word, she made her way out of the ice cream parlor and prepared for the journey home.

**Author's Note:**

> find me and my other works @ sweet-peachy on wattpad!!!


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